We Are Love
by JustSteph
Summary: Happy Valentine's Day.


Disclaimer: Not mine, donut sue.

**We are Love**

She's at work when she gets the first bunch. Well, 'work' is a stretch... yes, she is technically inside the police building but she hasn't so much as opened her mail, much less addressed the pile of papers to her left. Instead, Emma Swan is casually leaning back on her chair, feet propped up on her desk, just… thinking. Thinking about Storybrooke, thinking about her parents (she wonders if calling them that will ever not feel totally weird), her son, and, of course, Regina. The subject of the vast majority of her thoughts.

Truth be told she could think about Regina all day; the woman is an enigma wrapped up in a quandary encased in a conundrum. She is complex and complicated; she is often utterly perplexing. Today, however, Emma is keeping it light; thinking of nothing more than the woman she loves, and can't wait to be reunited with once enough time has passed that she can drop the pretence of working.

Regina is cooking her dinner tonight, but that's really nothing new. The dark-haired woman definitely knows her way around a kitchen whilst Emma is the first to admit that she is somewhat culinary challenged. She knows better than to associate their dinner with the fact that today is Valentine's Day; Regina may now admit to loving her but it's been a long road, and she knows how her… girlfriend?... well, she knows how Regina feels about over-the-top sentiment, certainly. Her disdain for Snow and Charming and their lovesick outlook is proof enough of that, and so Emma is careful not to push. Outwardly, she mocks that kind of corniness too, although deep down she knows she wouldn't necessarily mind celebrating Valentine's Day with the woman she loves.

That's why she's so shocked when a woman walks in dressed in what is obviously a courier's uniform, carrying a long, black box and, after confirming her name, hands it over to her with a grin and a wink. The woman stands there, then, clearly waiting for Emma to open the parcel. She feels her cheeks turn pink as she stares down at the box, suddenly shy, until the delivery woman gives up and, with a roll of her eyes, leaves the station.

Emma sets the box down gingerly on the desk, and stares at it for a few moments. Black silk ribbons are drawn around it in a criss-cross, and tied in the middle. It's classy and elegant – surely, she thinks, it has to be from Regina? When she can wait no longer she carefully unties the ribbon and opens the box. Inside are for long-stemmed roses with petals dyed a deep, rich black. She picks up a rose, marvelling at how fresh it is; the stork is thick and thorny. These are clearly not your average shop-bought Valentines flowers. She spies a small black card tucked down the side of the box and opens it eagerly. 'This is me' she reads aloud, tracing her fingers over the elegant script as she tries to determine its meaning.

Fifteen minutes later finds Emma back in position in her chair, frowning as she turns the words over in her mind. She hates a puzzle she can't solve.

XXXXXXXXXXX

She is glad when she receives a phone call from Belle, two hours later, asking her to come over to the library. Belle explains that she's probably just being paranoid, but upon her arrival a few minutes ago the back door was unlocked and ajar, and she's pretty sure she locked it last night. She arrives at the library to find Belle just outside the back entrance of the building. Signalling for her to remain where she is, Emma draws her gun and carefully nudges the back door open enough for her to slide in. Her eyes adjust to the dim light; there are tiny candles lit all over the back room of the shop. Just as she begins to question what the hell kind of break-in this is, she notices a white box set on the table in the middle of the room. The box is exactly the same as the one she received in the office, save for the colour, and that's when she knows she's been set up. She holsters her gun as she looks around for Belle, who is now nowhere to be found. Shaking her head she walks toward the table. This time she doesn't hesitate in untying the ribbon, and opening the box. Inside she finds four more roses, white this time, and equally beautiful. Reaching for the card she suspects will be in there, she unfolds it and reads her new message. 'This is you'.

Running a finger along a silky petal, she considers the words in front of her. What is it that Regina is trying to say? She is slightly uneasy with the traditional connotations of black and white as good and evil; she is certainly not pure by any means and she knows, deep down and fiercely, that Regina is not evil. As she tries to wrap her mind around where Regina is going with this, she remembers something that Henry had said to them a couple of weeks before. They hadn't explained their exact relationship to him in open terms, still trying to settle down into some stability before they changed their son's world, yet again. It would be impossible for him not to notice, however, that his mothers' relationship has changed; that they have become closer and that they are comfortable with each other now, often joking with ease and relaxing in each other's' presence. Snow has been hesitant about their new-found closeness, which, Emma supposes, is not entirely unreasonable given their history. She had expressed as much to Emma over coffee at Granny's, not realising that her grandson had entered the store and was standing behind them. Emma smiles as she recalls how Henry had sat down and earnestly explained to Snow that Regina and Emma needed to be friends; that it was absolutely essential, in fact. When Snow had asked him why that was the case, he had explained that his mothers were each a part of a whole; that when they were together the light in Emma made the darkness in Regina – in his childish words – 'less dark'.

Feeling reassured, Emma stares at the flower she is holding. The petals really are so soft. Running them over her fingertips, and then her cheek, Emma is reminded of Regina's soft, alabaster skin. She never would have dreamed that anything about the other woman could be anything other than hard – all sharp edges and jagged lines – but she knows better now. She has first-hand experience – literally, she thinks, smirking to herself.

She is snapped out of her reverie by Belle knocking awkwardly at the door. "I'm sorry to kill the moment, but I actually do need to open up", the brunette says sheepishly. Blushing slightly under Belle's gaze, Emma makes her way out of the shop with the white box tucked under her arm. 'Now what?' she thinks to herself.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The rest of the day is disappointingly uneventful. She has pushed papers for the majority of the afternoon, although she hasn't actually gotten much done. The only brief moment of excitement comes when she receives a text from Regina. Expecting some kind of explanation, or at least a teasing hint at one, she is disappointed to find only a bland message about their dinner plans. She is to come to the house at seven o'clock sharp to eat with Regina and Henry. Emma shrugs it off with a slight huff, but as the day wares on she begins to feel increasingly frustrated. The drive over to Regina's mansion is mostly spent wondering why it is that she and Regina could never just be a 'normal' couple. She knows deep down that the reasons are many, and that she isn't sure she even wants to be a normal couple anyway, but regardless she has to admit she does wish things could be simpler sometimes.

Pulling up in front of the house, she parks her bug and steps out of the car. Making her way up the big wrought-iron front gate, Emma pauses as her hand meets something sharp. Cursing under her breath, she looks down to see a single red rose. Picking it up carefully, she can't resist bringing it to her nose and smelling it. With a small smile, she pushes open the gate and continues down the path. At the front door she finds an almost identical rose, and her smile grows. Using her very own key (well there are **some** things about them that are normal, she supposes), she enters the house. On the marble table in the middle of the grand foyer is a third red rose, but no sign of the woman she loves.

"Regina?" she calls out, her voice echoing off of the high ceilings, "Henry?" Hearing no response she heads for the kitchen. When that turns out to be empty too, she heads for the room she knows Regina spends the most time in – her study. She knows that Regina feels she can relax there, and that the beautiful, wondrous part of her likes to be surrounded by her books. Emma remembers the snarl on Regina's face the first time she entered that room, when they were still at loggerheads. She remembers the first time they kissed in there; the first time they made love in there… she remembers it all.

Blushing slightly, Emma knocks at the door, knowing how Regina feels about manners. "Come", she hears, and so she turns the door handle, inching the door forward slowly. What she sees when she steps into the room takes her breath away. Like in the library, the room is littered with tea light candles, except there are far more here, covering every surface. Awestruck though she is by the sight of them all, it is Regina who truly takes her breath away. The brunette woman stands in front of her in an elegant black dress, its smooth lines fitting her beautiful curves. The neckline dips low without being trashy, and around Regina's neck is a simple diamond necklace. Her girlfriend's hair is perfectly coiffed, makeup expertly applied. She trails her eyes up and down, lost for words.

Before Emma can recover herself, Regina pulls a hand from behind her back and extends to Emma a fourth red rose. Emma accepts it, their hands brushing softly as she does so. Regina must see the questions swimming in Emma's eyes; the emotion shining in them reflected in her own, as she takes Emma's free hand into hers and places a single, soft kiss onto her knuckles.

"Regina… what…" Emma starts; then trailing off, she as relieved as the woman in front of her begins to speak.

In a voice thick with emotion, Regina motions to the red roses in Emma's hand and intones "this is us".

Emma can feel as though her breath has literally been snatched from her body. Gazing at the woman she loves, she feels her eyes welling up uncharacteristically. "I… don't know what to say" she whispers lamely.

Regina just looks at her with those rich, dark eyes swimming with emotion. "we are light and dark, and together we are love" she says with a shrug belying the seriousness of her words. Emma feels a tear roll down her cheek and thanks whatever the power is up there for bringing the two of them into one another's lives.

"Besides", Regina continues lightly, "I thought this was just standard behaviour towards one's girlfriend on Valentine's Day. A dozen roses and some dinner?"

Emma lets out a chuckle; utterly charmed by how innocent Regina can still be about the real world sometimes. Her heart leaps at finally having Regina refer to her as her girlfriend, even though she feels a little silly about it. "Wait a minute though…" she says as a thought occurs to her, "where's the kid?"

It's Regina's turn to smile as she answers "he's with your… with Snow and Charming."

"Wow, so you simultaneously did something amazing for me, **and** managed to ruin their Valentine's plans? And people say you've lost your touch" Emma smirks, winking at Regina.

"Fools" Regina agrees in mock-seriousness, before continuing "enough about them. I was given to understand that tonight should be about us?"

"Yeah… us" Emma smiles, before finally leaning in to claim Regina's soft lips.

It would be the first of many kisses that night.


End file.
